Telnet Authentication Bypass via User Environment Variable

[metadata]
creation_date = "2026/01/26"
integration = ["auditd_manager"]
maturity = "production"
updated_date = "2026/03/24"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
description = """
Identifies potential exploitation of a Telnet remote authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-24061) in GNU Inetutils
telnetd. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated access by supplying a crafted `-f <username>` value via the `USER` environment
variable, resulting in a login process spawned with elevated privileges.
"""
from = "now-9m"
index = ["auditbeat-*", "logs-auditd_manager.auditd-*"]
language = "eql"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Telnet Authentication Bypass via User Environment Variable"
note = """## Triage and analysis

### Investigating Telnet Authentication Bypass via User Environment Variable

CVE-2026-24061 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability affecting `telnetd` in GNU Inetutils. By supplying a
crafted `-f root` value through the USER environment variable, a remote attacker can bypass authentication and gain
unauthorized root-level access. This exploit results in the `login` process being executed with attacker-controlled
arguments, typically spawned by `telnetd` or via `xinetd`.

This rule detects suspicious `login` executions associated with Telnet services that include the `-f` flag, which
forces authentication as a specified user and is indicative of exploitation attempts.

#### Possible investigation steps

- Investigate the process execution chain (parent process tree) for the suspicious `login` process.
  - Confirm whether `login` was spawned by `telnetd` or indirectly via `xinetd`.
  - Review the command-line arguments passed to `login`, paying special attention to the presence of `-f` and any
    attempts to authenticate as `root` or other privileged users.
- Validate whether the Telnet service is expected to be running on the affected host.
  - Telnet is deprecated and should rarely be exposed or enabled in modern environments.
- Investigate post-authentication activity originating from the compromised session.
  - Look for command execution, file modifications, privilege escalation attempts, or persistence mechanisms.
  - Review network connections initiated after the suspicious login event.
- Check for additional alerts or suspicious activity on the same host within the past 48 hours.
- Determine whether the system is running a vulnerable version of GNU Inetutils telnetd.

### False positive analysis

- Legitimate use of the `-f` flag with `login` is extremely rare and typically restricted to trusted, local workflows.
- False positives may occur in highly customized or legacy environments where Telnet is still in use.
- Any benign occurrences should be carefully validated and documented before adding exceptions.

### Related Rules

- Potential Telnet Authentication Bypass (CVE-2026-24061) - "ab7795cc-0e0b-4f9d-a934-1f17a58f869a"

### Response and remediation

- Immediately isolate the affected host to prevent further unauthorized access or lateral movement.
- Terminate suspicious Telnet sessions and collect volatile forensic data where possible.
- Investigate for signs of credential access, persistence, or follow-on exploitation.
- Patch or upgrade GNU Inetutils to a version that addresses CVE-2026-24061.
- Disable the Telnet service entirely if it is not explicitly required.
- Enforce the use of secure alternatives such as SSH for remote administration.
- Rotate credentials for any accounts that may have been exposed or accessed.
- Perform a full system integrity review and antimalware scan.
- Update hardening, monitoring, and logging policies to improve detection of legacy remote access abuse.
"""
references = [
    "https://www.safebreach.com/blog/safebreach-labs-root-cause-analysis-and-poc-exploit-for-cve-2026-24061/",
    "https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-24061"
]
risk_score = 99
rule_id = "eb3150eb-e9fb-4a64-a0fc-aa66cdd35632"
severity = "critical"
tags = [
    "Domain: Endpoint",
    "OS: Linux",
    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
    "Tactic: Initial Access",
    "Tactic: Lateral Movement",
    "Resources: Investigation Guide",
    "Use Case: Vulnerability",
    "Data Source: Auditd Manager"
]
timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
type = "eql"

query = '''
sequence by host.id with maxspan=1s
 [process where host.os.type == "linux" and event.type == "start" and event.action in ("process_started", "executed") and process.name in ("telnetd", "xinetd")] by process.pid
 [process where host.os.type == "linux" and event.type == "start" and event.action in ("process_started", "executed") and process.name == "login" and process.args : "-*f*"] by process.parent.pid
'''


[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1190"
name = "Exploit Public-Facing Application"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0001"
name = "Initial Access"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/"

[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1210"
name = "Exploitation of Remote Services"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1210/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0008"
name = "Lateral Movement"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0008/"

[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1068"
name = "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1068/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0004"
name = "Privilege Escalation"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/"